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About this Book

Hans Frei (1922–1988) was perhaps the leading Anselmian theologian of his generation. His influence is extensive in contemporary theology, and his work marks the beginning of a decisive shift in biblical interpretation. Reading Faithfully, which is the first of two volumes, is a special collection that includes a wide range of his letters, lectures, book reviews and other items, many of them not previously available in print. Analytical and perceptive, Frei's writings expands his arguments about the meaning and truth of scriptural narrative, distinguishing his ideas from other forms of narrative or story theology as well as exploring the kinds of political theology consistent with his typological imagination.

Alongside Volume II, this is an invaluable resource that provides new insights into the nature and implications of Frei's work. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the development of religious thought and understanding.

Contents

Part I: Letters1. Letter to Dr. Larry K. Nelson, August 14, 19732. Letter to Elsabeth S. Hilke, August 5, 19743. Letter to D. Cameron Murchison Jr., Late 19744. Letter to Leander Keck, May 22, 19755. Letter to John Woolverton, July 7, 19756. Letter to Professor Ray L. Hart, January 12, 19767. Letter to William Placher, March 24, 19768. Letter to Van Harvey, June 22, 19769. Letter to Dennis Nineham, July 1, 197610. Letter to John Woolverton, April 16, 197811. Letter to Julian Hartt, August 19, 198112. Letter to Gary Comstock, November 5, 198413. Letter to William Placher, November 3, 1986

Part II: Hermeneutics1. Scripture as Realistic Narrative2. Review of James Barr, The Bible in the Modern World3. On Interpreting the Christian Story4. Historical Reference and the Gospels5. The Specificity of Reference

Part III: Theology1. The Place of Theology in the Liberal Arts Curriculum2. Saint, Sinner, and Pilgrim3. Is Religious Sensibility Accessible to Study?4. History, Salvation-History, and Typology5. God's Patience and Our Work6. Reinhold Niebuhr, Where Are You Now That We Need You?7. Of the Going Down of Christ into Hell8. Of the Resurrection of Christ9. Of the Holy Ghost10. On Priesthood, the Past, and Peace

Afterword: Hans Frei, Scripture, Reading, and the Rhetoric of Theology, by John Webster

About the Editors

Hans W. Frei was the foremost historian of modern biblical hermeneutics. He spent the majority of his career teaching at Yale Divinity School, where he wrote The Identity of Jesus Christ and The Eclipse of Biblical Narrative, numerous essays, and a vast collection of unpublished works, which have since been published posthumously: Types of Christian Theology and Theology and Narrative.

Mike Higton is Professor of Theology and Ministry at Durham University. He is the author of numerous books, including Christ, Providence, and History: Hans W. Frei's Public Theology.

Mark Alan Bowald is Associate Professor of Religion and Theology at Redeemer University College. He is the author of Rendering the Word in Theological Hermeneutics: Mapping Divine and Human Agency.

Reviews and Comments

Imagine the excitement that would accompany the discovery of Brahm's sketches for a fifth symphony, or unpublished letters from Einstein on the theory of relativity. These pieces provide something similar: Hans Frei's emerging thinking about biblical narrativity and theology. This volume is further evidence of the seminal nature and continuing significance of Frei's close theologising.
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School